Toychest Time Machine

Greetings my time traveling companions! We’re dusting off the ole Toychest Time Machine for a special trip back to 1994, a time when gross-out toys (you know, the ones that that squirted, oozed, “blurp’d,” and spewed) were on top. Combine that with the popularity of “pocket toys” like Polly Pocket and Mighty Max and what […]

There are lots of different kinds of stuffed bears out there, but none quite as “beastly” as Beasty Bears. Released in 1991 by Tonka—presumably to appeal to the boys market—these eye-offendingly multi-colored monstrosities looked cute and cuddly on the outside, but flip them inside out and you unleashed the beast (“big fangs with claws in […]

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice! As a product of the 90’s this refrain should stir up feelings of nostalgia and excitement, and possibly have you checking around for any rogue sand worms under the bed or in the closet, just to be safe. I mean, it does for me at least. In an era where they were […]

After two major films and a long-running comic book, 1990 saw DC Comic’s Swamp Thing branch out into not only a TV series (Swamp Thing: The Series) but an animated series (Swamp Thing: The Animated Series) for kids. While the TV took many of its queues from the films, the cartoon had only a passing […]

Whether you want to admit it or not, I think we all remember those god-damned Troll dolls from the 90s. How could we not?! Their popularity ran so rampant that they spawned into virtually every medium including animation, video games and – yes – action figures. Now, maybe it’s just the easily impressionable 7-year old […]

As an avid toy collector I admit that a big part of the hobby for me is ‘the nostalgia factor.’ I collect and re-collect toys from my past, or toys that remind me of the past, or toys that remind me of toys from my past, or revamped versions of toys from my past, etc. […]

Battle Beasts (originally called Beastformers) were first released by Takara in Japan and were released in the US by Hasbro in 1987. They featured animal warriors, equipped with heavy armor and unique weapons. The line was relatively short-lived but has a rabid following today. There’s even been somewhat of a Battle Beast toy and comic […]